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Iran Shuts Off Internet Amid Widespread Anti-Govt Protests; Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) Is Interviewed About U.S. Seizes Another Oil Tanker In The Caribbean. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired January 09, 2026 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, breaking news, massive protests in Iran, unrest sweeping the country, and an Internet blackout as demonstrators demand regime change.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Also ahead, U.S. forces seizing another oil tanker in the Caribbean. It was sailing near Venezuela.

We want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in The Situation Room.

We begin this hour with the breaking news out of Iran. Listen to this. Shouts of death to the dictator as protesters take to the streets and set fires overnight in what could be a pivotal moment for Iran.

BROWN: New powerful images are emerging as authorities impose a nationwide Internet blackout. The Iranian government has cut Internet and phone lines as protesters demand new leadership. Iranians are angry about the economy and the regime's harsh security crackdowns. CNN's Nada Bashir is tracking all of these developments for us.

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NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): A stunning show of defiance against the Iranian regime. In Mashhad, the hometown of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the flag of the Islamic Republic is lowered and torn to pieces. Protesters here have a clear message. They want the regime gone.

What began as organized demonstrations in Tehran's bazaars and universities over the country's dire economic crisis, with inflation soaring, a plummeting currency and everyday items becoming unaffordable, has now become a large-scale protest movement against the Islamic Republic.

In this video, protesters are heard chanting death to the dictator.

CROWD: Die, die dictator.

BASHIR (voice-over): According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights NGO, dozens of protesters, including children, have been killed since demonstrations began in late December.

With state security forces reportedly using live ammunition in some locations to suppress the protests. Hundreds more have also been reported injured and over 2,000 people detained, the NGO added.

In a televised address on Friday, Iran's Supreme Leader blamed, "agitators who want to please the American president for the unrest gripping the country."

The video shared online by protesters across the country shows the scale and force of the movement, with protests gaining momentum across more than 100 Iranian cities. Roads blocked, filled with crowds of protesters. Buildings set alight.

Iran's security forces in one instance targeted in a counter-attack. But the country has now been plunged into a total Internet and communications blackout. A tactic often used by the regime to suppress demonstrations, making it more difficult to organize and to share videos, evidence from the ground.

And while we have yet to see the full force of Iran's security apparatus unleashed on protesters, there are fears the blackout could be an indicator of more violence to come. The threat of a potential U.S. attack, meanwhile, continues to loom large. With U.S. President Donald Trump warning again on Thursday that if protesters are killed, the U.S. may once again attack Iran.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think they're going to get hit very hard.

BASHIR (voice-over): Nada Bashir, CNN, in London.

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BLITZER: And let's discuss what's going on. Significant developments. Joining us now, CNN political and global affairs commentator Sabrina Singh and former U.S. defense secretary under President Obama, Leon Panetta. He's also a former CIA director. Mr. Secretary, let me start with you.

How much pressure do these protests put on Iran's current leadership? And coming after strikes this summer by the U.S. and Israel, for that matter, targeting Iran's nuclear facilities, ballistic missile facilities. Are we seeing a real weakening of the Iranian regime?

LEON PANETTA, FORMER CLINTON WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: Well, I don't think there's any question that we're at a critical moment in Iran right now. These kinds of protests, we've seen them in past history. We saw it during the Arab Spring, and now we're seeing it happen in Iran. And as these protests continue, and as they become more violent, it's obvious that the regime in Iran is having a difficult time right now restoring order. And that means that this kind of convulsion could continue for a number of days now before any kind of consequence takes place.

[11:05:10] BROWN: And, Sabrina, to you, President Trump, for his part, has said that the U.S. would potentially get involved militarily if a protester dies. As you just saw in that piece, there already have been demonstrators that have been killed, per our reporting. What could that threat from the President mean?

SABRINA SINGH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR & GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, I think that's what a lot of us are trying to understand, what does a potential military intervention look like in Iran when he says we're locked and loaded? Does that mean that the United States is going to target senior Iranian officials? And how would that actually quell some of these protesters?

I think there's a lot that remains to be seen on what military action could look like. But I think right now what this administration needs to do is continue to promote democratic values and encourage these protests to continue on. I mean, we are seeing the regime at its weakest point since that 12-day war. And I also think, I mean, some of the imagery that you're seeing on your screens, I mean, we're seeing people knock out CCTV cameras because they know that's how the IRGC identifies people and goes after them and arrests them.

So I think we're at a different moment, but how can, you know, Iranians harness it and lead to a regime change? I think a lot remains to be seen, and I don't know what American intervention looks like at this point.

BLITZER: The IRGC, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is really in charge of all of the domestic security issues, and they're knocking out closed-circuit T.V.s all around Tehran. Is that what you're hearing?

SINGH: Yes, what I was seeing last night on X is that some of these protesters are climbing up on street posts where you'd see traffic cameras that, you know, we have here in D.C. or all around the country and trying to knock them out because they know that that's the way the IRGC, the Iranian enforcement, monitors and uses face recognition to detain people.

And so, you know, we haven't seen protests like this since 2022, but these are even larger. I think this is the largest we've seen since 2009. And what I'm seeing, or what's being reported, is that they're in 31 different provinces across Iran, which is pretty incredible for people to be uniting.

Now, again, does this lead to regime change, and how hard does the IRGC crack down with violence? A lot is developing on the ground, as you're seeing in some of the reporting.

BLITZER: And not just in Iran, but there are other dramatic developments happening elsewhere around the world. Mr. Secretary, let me get back to you. Overnight, we saw really horrible developments in Ukraine. Russia striking the western part of the country with a hypersonic missile, one of its most advanced weapons. I want you and our viewers to watch this. Watch this.

BROWN: All right.

BLITZER: All right, we're going to try to get that clip. Here it is. One of Russia's most advanced hypersonic missiles hitting civilian targets in Ukraine right now. How concerning, Mr. Secretary, is this? And does Ukraine have any way to defend itself against these types of Russian weapons?

PANETTA: Well, this keeps going back to the bottom line, which is whether or not the United States is going to step up and really criticize Russia for the kind of violence that it's engaged in, particularly the kind of violence that's killing innocent citizens in Ukraine. The United States really does need to stand up, help defend Ukraine from these kinds of attacks. That would be the most important step that the United States could take right now.

It would not only send a very key message to Putin that he cannot continue to do this without some kind of fight back by the United States and by others supporting Ukraine. And secondly, what it does is, for any hope of any kind of peaceful resolution, these kinds of attacks basically make clear that the war in Ukraine is going to continue and that there is not a likely peaceful solution to the horror that's going on.

BROWN: I want to go to you on another issue on the global stage. There's a lot going on with foreign policy. We've just learned the U.S. has reportedly seized another oil tanker in the Caribbean. This was after taking a Russian-flagged vessel in the Atlantic and another ship in the Caribbean.

The White House says that President Trump is not afraid of continuing to seize sanctioned oil tankers, even if it brings added tensions with Russia and China. But should those tensions be a concern?

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SINGH: I think it's always a concern when you're going up against an adversary like Russia or China. I mean, ultimately, what you want to see is a de-escalation. But this President has, I mean, in his two- hour interview with "The New York Times," has said that we're going to continue these actions, and we don't know how long we're going to be in Venezuela.

It seems like he's putting an indefinite timeline on, you know, extracting oil and interdicting some of these tankers. So I think the question that we also need to be asking is what is the stress that it's putting on the force, too? Because we've had ships parked outside the coast of Venezuela for months now, and that's putting incredible strain and, frankly, going to impact our readiness.

I'm not saying it's a bad thing to be interdicting these oil tankers that are moving, you know, illicit oil, but how long can we continue these operations and the expense? I think that's, you know, also what we need to be asking.

BLITZER: Mr. Secretary, I want to get you back into this conversation, because these international developments are unfolding very, very rapidly and very, very concerning. The President now stepping up his threats to, "take the island of Greenland." And the White House isn't ruling out using force to make it happen.

Critics say such a move would threaten the very existence of the NATO alliance since Greenland is part of Denmark, a founding member of NATO. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet with officials from Denmark next week to discuss a U.S. purchase, purchase of Greenland. What's your take on all these dramatic developments involving this Danish territory?

PANETTA: Well, Wolf, I'm very concerned about the situation right now with the United States and the rest of the world. These actions that are taking place, whether it's Venezuela, whether it's dealing with oil tankers, whether it's threatening to strike Iran, whether it's threatening to take Greenland, the United States is taking a number of steps that I think could ultimately result in a greater crisis in the world.

We saw these kinds of events take place prior to World War I as different countries began to do things thinking that somehow they could get away with things and not create a greater conflict. I think what the United States is doing right now is creating the seeds for a greater conflict in the future, and that frightens me.

BLITZER: Yes, frightens me too. All right, the former Defense Secretary, former CIA Director Leon Panetta, thanks very much for joining us, and Sabrina Singh, thanks to you as well. We'll take a quick break. Much more, all these dramatic developments unfolding right after this.

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BROWN: Breaking news. As we just reported, the U.S. has seized another oil tanker in the Caribbean. According to U.S. Southern Command, U.S. troops along with the Homeland Security Department, "launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford an apprehended motor tanker along in the Caribbean Sea without incident." Marine traffic shows the vessel was sailing near Venezuela under a certain flag. This is the third tanker the U.S. has seized this week, including a Russian-tagged vessel in the Atlantic Ocean.

And the move comes as the Trump administration looks to establish control of Venezuelan oil following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro.

Also this morning, a U.S. official tells CNN that a State Department team has arrived in Venezuela. The U.S. withdrew its diplomats and suspended its operations at the embassy there in 2019. Lots to discuss. Joining us now is Montana Republican Congressman Ryan Zinke. He serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Congressman, I want to start by just getting your reaction to this breaking news and the seizing of this oil tanker. You know, a lot of politicians, Republicans, support the seizing of sanctioned oil, these oil tankers. But at the same time, does it concern you that this could increase tensions with countries like Russia or China?

REP. RYAN ZINKE (R-MT): Well, let's be clear. The oil is intended to what? It is to fund and rebuild Venezuela and turn Venezuela from a dictatorship into a legitimate democracy. That oil is leverage. And what the administration, I'm sure, is going to do is they're going to take that oil, they're going to sell it on market, then they're going to put an account probably outside of the U.S. because, you know, Venezuela's in debt.

So they put it in the U.S., the court can lock it, and then we'll distribute that money to make sure it goes to the people of Venezuela. You know, they're going to have a liquidity problem. They're running out of money soon. I don't think they'll probably be able to pay their folks, which is a big deal if you're Venezuela because there's law enforcement, people out there, there's working, just normal workings of the government.

But to rebuild their infrastructure, rebuild will take money, and that money will come from, I am sure, the oil.

BROWN: How do you explain to your constituents, though, who might be having a hard time getting through day to day, getting by day to day, even though they're working very hard, and they hear this and they question, well, why is the administration so focused on Venezuela and getting money to Venezuela and rebuilding Venezuela when I'm having a hard time getting through my day? So how do you explain that to your constituents?

ZINKE: The largest population of Hamas and Hezbollah outside the Middle East resides in Venezuela. Remember, when Chavez came in, which was now over 20 years ago, right, he removed a lot of the opposition. There's no opposition of any weight within Venezuela. And who's the influencers? China, Russia, Iran, and I hope Iran falls.

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But those are the influencers coming right next door. And you saw the consequence. You saw the drug trafficking, narco, and an illegitimate leader. I'm glad he's gone. But I think also it's important that we come off as a liberator, liberating those funds to make sure they rebuild in the best possible way. I think it's in our best interest to have a prosperous Venezuela as they once were. It's in our best interest.

BROWN: But just going back to the American interest, just the everyday American, how do you explain to them how it serves their interests, particularly on affordability, which is such an important issue right now?

ZINKE: Well, on affordability, removing a dictatorship that brings drugs in the country, I mean, that's a problem. And everyone should recognize what Venezuela was. So affordability, what does it do? The oil and gas market probably stabilizes some of the oil. And you look at where energy costs are now, which is the driver of the economy, by the way. Energy costs now in some places are $1.99 a gallon compared to $4 or $5. So having low-cost energy does what? It brings costs down for transportation, for goods, for services, fertilizer. So I think that is a huge step forward. But also security is important too. I mean, not having drugs come into the country at the rate they were. Remember, Venezuela is a short, you know, boat ride from the United States.

BROWN: Right.

ZINKE: You know, and, you know, for some people, it's a lifetime boat ride if you deal with drugs and you meet with the United States Navy.

BROWN: Right. But, I mean, Venezuela certainly has trafficked drugs into the U.S. No one's questioning that. But when you look at what we know, they're a relatively small player, right? Other countries are more responsible for trafficking drugs into the U.S., including Colombia.

And, you know, the President had that call with the Colombian president just recently. "The New York Times" had reported that they couldn't report on the contents of it. And it seems like the President is backing off there. So how do you square that, saying, well, Venezuela, it's about cracking down on drugs, but then he's holding off on taking more action against a country like Colombia that does traffic in more drugs?

ZINKE: Well, I think the message is pretty clear. If you're the Colombian president and you just watch Maduro get captured on a flawless, flawless operation.

BROWN: No one's questioning that.

ZINKE: It was unbelievable the talent there.

BROWN: It was complicated and it was a success.

ZINKE: And if you see your next door neighbor that's trafficking drugs leave, I think you're probably going to think about, maybe I'm going to change my modus operandi, too. Maybe I won't run drugs. Because if I run drugs in the United States, you fall on the same justification why Maduro went down. Because you're a threat to the United States because you're, you know, in charge of a network of bringing drugs to the United States. In this case, it's a little different because the current president was legitimately elected.

BROWN: But that is a difference. Do you think the President should start bombing the Mexican drug cartels?

ZINKE: I think that he has declared the Mexican drug cartels as a terrorist. I'm hoping the relationship with Mexico. Remember, Mexico, Brazil were one of the two countries in the South America that support -- that did not support this operation. The other ones did.

But I think there's a message, too, is that we won't tolerate drugs. And, look, these cartels, I get it, are larger and more powerful than the federal government of Mexico. If you're a general and you cross the line, you know what, on the way home you're going to see your kids on the way home on stakes. So that's how powerful these organizations are. And they're multinational organizations.

BROWN: So should the president bomb them? I mean, as you said, designated terrorists, that was the justification for bombing these alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.

ZINKE: I think we should give the Mexican government, and I do believe in sovereignty, but I think we should give them every chance and every resource to remove the cancer that's hurting their country, too. So I think, you know, my preferred is working together, give them the resources and the support necessary to eradicate and eliminate a cancer that is really a cancer, I would say, in this hemisphere and probably globally.

BROWN: Last question for you. The President has said that there could be potential U.S. military involvement in Iran if any protesters are killed. We've seen the footage out of Iran. We've seen the demonstrations. It's really ratcheting up. Would you feel comfortable with that? Do you have any concerns that there could be growing tensions between the U.S. and Iran?

ZINKE: Can you imagine a Middle East without a radical government that's in Iran? The Middle East would prosper. The Middle East has every potential to remove themselves from all the strife, all the wars. But it would be enormously prosperous, and that's what we want. We want an economic engine out of the Middle East. And so I actually would look at it.

I think it's going to happen. I think that the magnitude of these protests, this is not the first one, but I would facilitate it by providing, you know, assistance. They said, look, we're going to be there for you. And let Iran collapse among itself. But I would stay away from being a conqueror again and be a liberator.

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BROWN: A conqueror again? What do you mean by again? You mean if Venezuela?

ZINKE: You know, a conqueror, for instance, in the Middle East, it was nations there that we conquered our enemy by military force.

BROWN: Yes.

ZINKE: So we were a conqueror. In the case of Venezuela --

BROWN: Is that just what happened to Venezuela.

ZINKE: -- I would prefer to be a Venezuelan. I think we're a liberator.

BROWN: OK. All right. Congressman Ryan Zinke, thank you so much. Always nice to have you on.

ZINKE: Pleasure. BROWN: Appreciate it.

BLITZER: I agree.

And still ahead, we're going to go live back to Minneapolis after the mayor there and other local officials demand accountability after a woman was shot and killed by a federal agent.

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BLITZER: Breaking this morning, the Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey just said the federal government should let local investigators access evidence in the shooting death of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good. That was Wednesday in Minneapolis and he claims ICE is making a city, "less safe."

BROWN: CNN law enforcement correspondent Whitney Wild is in Minneapolis. Whitney, the mayor was really fired up this morning. Tell us more about what he said.

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: That has certainly been the case here since this incident happened that Mayor Jacob Frey is very angry about what he saw from that incident and how he sees federal investigators taking over this and excluding locals from participating in any way in this investigation. Here's more from Mayor Jacob Frey.

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